Earlier today, we reported that President Trump spoke with a group of about 12 House Republicans and asked how they’d feel if he fired Jerome Powell. The Times said he indicated he’d likely do it. The New York Times claimed he had a draft letter terminating Powell seen by Republicans.
President Trump told the media today that he wasn’t going to fire Powell.
Republicans allegedly told him it would create a political mess. The Times said they warned him that is could be “calamitous.”
The Times report of a draft letter to fire Powell has not been confirmed.
President Trump Confirms
Speaking from a separate meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr. Trump confirmed that he had asked House lawmakers about whether he should fire Mr. Powell but said he had no imminent plans to do so.
“I talked about the concept of firing him. I said, ‘what do you think?’ Almost everyone of them said I should,” Mr. Trump said, adding “but I’m more conservative.” Mr. Trump, who often reflexively disputes news reports about his actions, said he hadn’t had a letter drafted.
After Mr. Trump spoke, two people with knowledge of the matter said that a draft of a letter firing Mr. Powell was given to the president earlier in the week by William J. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
A White House spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment. Mr. Pulte and an official with the agency’s press office did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Pulte called on Mr. Powell to resign twice in a week.
The Times wrote: Mr. Pulte has also emerged as an aggressive force the Trump administration targeting some of the president’s perceived enemies, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff of California, Democrats who were involved in investigations into Mr. Trump.
They aren’t “perceived” enemies. They are enemies.
WHICH IS WORSE- A POLITICAL “MESS” OR A WEAK ECONOMY? I THE FORMER WILL SOON BE FORGOTTEN. THE LATTER AFFECTS US ALL. IF POWELL IS NOT PERFORMING AS TRUMP EXPECTS, HE MUST BE FIRED. HE’S NOT SPECIAL. THOUSANDS OF OTHER ECONOMISTS COULD DO A BETTER JOB. SELECT ONE. TRUMP NEVER HESITATED TO FIRE PEOPLE ON THE APPRENTICE DUE TO POOR… Read more »